Mother Of The Century

Mother Of The Century.

Now I wrote this a while ago, it was a letter written to the Australian of The Year for this year. I would've liked for my mum to have been accepted. I hope you like what I have said. 

Mrs Lorraine Clampit is a 46-year-old Female, a Mother of two daughters, a wife, a daughter, a sister and a 'Personal Care Attendant'. 
In 1994 her first daughter was born at the Mercy Hospital For Women, but having said that, she was also born with a unique condition called Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita. It is a very rare disability which meant that there was not a lot the medical experts could do witj not very updated tools and research sources to work with. Only 1 in 17,000 in Australia are born with the disability. 

   My Mum on the left and me on the right.

Lorraine and her husband Tony were already aware of the disability before their daughter was born but their information was still a little unknown. They were told that she may not make it alive after the birth, Lorraine was told that she had the choice to abort her daughter or give birth to her with the chance that she may be still born. 
Lorraine and Tony decided to take the chance of keeping their daughter and go through with the pregnancy. 

On 11th of March 1994, Sheree Jenifer Clampit was born and miraculously she was alive with terrific working lungs. 
Sheree had many difficulties as a baby, such as feeding, it took 4 hours to feed Sheree because she was born with a hole on the roof of the inside of her mouth (Cleft Palate). Lorraine had a lot to contend with. 

Sheree’s first surgery was at 4 months old and that was to fix her mouth so she could eat properly, fixing her hands as they were bent into the back of her wrists. 
The biggest surgery procedure was straightening her hips and knees as her hips were uneven and knees were turned in towards her back. 
Sheree had plaster from the waist down so every two weeks Lorraine and Tony's mother Jenifer would bathe the plaster off Sheree, then Lorraine would have to drive to The Royal Children’s Hospital so Sheree could get a new set of plaster.
This procedure went on until Sheree was 4 years old and it was hard for Lorraine to keep her in Kindergarten for long periods of time.
While Sheree was growing up, she needed to learn how to walk so Tony and his best friend Craig would always help Sheree with her walking.
Lorraine and Tony had to live separate lives so Lorraine was allegeable for the 'Single Parenting Pension' from 'Centrelink' because they had rejected her from receiving a ‘Carer Pension’. 
On a number of occasions, Centrelink had told Lorraine that Sheree’s disability wasn’t severe enough, even 5 letters from Sheree’s orthopaedic surgeon were rejected.
While Tony moved closer to Melbourne, Lorraine had no choice but to move into Tony’s parents house just to get some extra support because money was hard to make for the both of them. 
In the year 2000 it was time for Sheree to start school and she needed a motorised wheelchair, as she still couldn't walk on her own. 
Lorraine had to fight to get it funded and in time for Sheree to use at school.
When enrolling Sheree at school, Lorraine was experiencing a lot of discrimination and bullying because the school had never had a student such as Sheree and they were scared of liability if something was to happen. 
Lorraine didn't give up fighting for her daughter getting an education and with her strong words she won her fight.
Lorraine had started a job to keep the income flowing in, as Sheree's surgeries were still very frequent. At that time, Tony and his friend Graig managed to get Sheree walking, which, her surgeon was in disbelief that she would ever walk. 
Every month Lorraine and Tony would drive to RCH for a new surgical procedure and of course it was hard to keep Sheree in school. 

In 2001 the family was blessed with another daughter and she was born at the Sunshine Hospital, they named her 'Natalie Jane Clampit. Lorraine got very sick during the pregnancy and gained an under active thyroid and when Natalie was born she was diagnosed with an over active thyroid and was also born with a turned eye. 

With Sheree's hospital check ups and Natalie's sickness, Lorraine needed to apply for the 'Carers Payment' from Centrelink, but Centrelink being the legends that they are Lorraine was denied again and they were both back to square one. 
Five years later, Lorraine never gave up, kept applying for the Carers Pension and by 2006 Centrelink finally accepted the application and Lorraine was receiving the payments she was entitled to. 
As Lorraine was getting payments, she was able to focus on her two daughters. 
Natalie had been taking thyroid medication for quite a while. 
Lorraine had a feeling that Natalie was getting sicker from the medication she was taking, expressing her concerns to the doctor, they told her to keep giving Natalie the medication. After a few months Lorraine refused to keep giving the medication to Natalie and she started getting better. 
In 2007 Sheree started high school and Natalie was starting primary school. 
Sheree was still using the wheelchair so Lorraine knew she would have to fight for a school bus with a hydraulic lift. 
There was another complication and Lorraine was again going to win the battle. 
The local council were going to make Sheree attend another school rather than the one that she wanted to go to. 
Lorraine wasn't going to accept their request and managed to get herself, Sheree, a person from Infrastructure and a bus driver sitting on a bus, that was supplied for Sheree and her wheelchair. 
The local newspaper took a photo and it was published telling people that Lorraine was successful in getting a bus with a ramp. 
When Sheree started at Gisborne Secondary School and the time that Sheree spent in the classroom out of her wheelchair, the school wanted Sheree to wear the required shoe wear but they were too heavy for her, she was born with clubbed feet, so, what the? The school were told about Sheree's issues. 
With the many arguments that Lorraine had with the school about the shoe wear, she couldn't persuade them. 
A few months into school Sheree broke her arm from tripping up from the heavy shoes, the school was never made liable for their ignorance. 
In 2008 - 2009 Sheree was getting 'bed sores' from sitting in her chair too long. 
The high school wouldn't let Sheree get out of her chair because again they were scared of liability. 
Lorraine had to fight the school so that Sheree could get a few hours out of her chair as walking was her physio. 
Late 2009 and early 2010, Sheree was getting bullied from students and even the teachers, most people from that school were unintelligent. 
With the many letters and meetings she had with the principal, the aide co-ordinator and Lorraine’s legal representative the school did nothing to solve the problem. 
In August 2010 Sheree left school and did a photography course from home. 
In 2011 the family moved to Wodonga Victoria for a fresh start. Lorraine found a new job as a Personal Care Attendant. Tony found a job working in the mines in Queensland. 
Sheree attended TAFE studying VCAL finishing her year 11 and 12. 
In mid 2011, Sheree was nominated for a Courage Award, Sheree’s best friend Brooke went on the Pride Of Australia website that was made by The Herald Sun and nominated her to be accepted. 
Sheree had received a phone call from The Herald Sun telling her that she had been nominated. 
In August 2011, Sheree and Brooke went to the Pride Of Australia event in Melbourne, there were many people that had been nominated for all different categories. 
In 2012 Sheree studied Certificate IV in Youth Work. She is now living in Adelaide, SA with her partner Chris, studying Wedding Planning and loving her independent life.
Now Natalie is in year 6 at school and is participating in Hip-Hop Classes and really loving it. 
Although there have been a lot of complications, Lorraine has still had much support from her close friends and family members and that’s what matters the most. 
Because of Sheree’s friend Brooke, the family could not be more grateful for the new people they have met with Arthrogryposis. 
Lorraine is so grateful that Chris came into Sheree's life because now she can live an independent life. Lorraine loves Chris like her own son. Just because they never stopped fighting for the things that are important, Sheree is now going to keep fighting for what she deserves. 
All Lorraine and her family ask is if you (the reader), family and friends support her and just acknowledge the barriers and acheivements she has had to face. 
As Lorraine’s daughter Sheree and the writer of this letter. I’d like to say to people out there, never ever stop fighting in what you believe in, the chances are you could win every time if you fight hard enough.

Yours Sincerely,
The Clampit Family.   

My Journey

My Journey

Sheree Jenifer Clampit don’t wear it out! I came into the great land of Aus, on 11/03/1994 at 6 Pound 7,  with a rare disability called Arthrogryposis, Multiplex, Congenita. (Arthro-gry-posis), (Multi-plex), (Con-genita) OR, AMC.

There is no simple definition that comes with this disability so I’ll do my best, telling you the meaning of the larger medical terms. 
AMC:  A rare congenital disorder that characterizes multiple joint contractures and can include muscle weakness and Fibrosis, It is present at birth and 1 in 17,000 births are affected in Australia.

Congenital or also known as Congenita, this means a physical abnormality that is present at birth.

A contracture is a permanent shortening of a muscle or joint.

Fibrosis: fibrous tissue in the joints

I have the most common of Arthrogryposis where all of my joints are affected, such as; hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, feet and knees. My fingers are tight from short tendons, so I can’t straighten most of them, my wrists are bent from the same thing, I have limited muscle tissue in my elbows and only a slight bend in my knees, I also have short tendons in my toes.

Of course I can’t remember everything about myself as there is just so much, I STILL have to ask my mum what happened with some of my joints and why they aren’t working properly, you never stop learning about this disability, there is always something that you could miss.

I have had 22 operations in my life, straightening my knees and turning them around the right way by using long pieces of wire that went from my inner leg right to the other side. Having plaster from my waist down was to straighten my hips, as one of my hipbones was and still higher than the other. Releasing tendons in my ankles as I had clubbed feet.

Clubbed feet is when someone’s feet are turning outwards just like being bow legged but the opposite way. Loosening the tendons in my toes, fingers and wrists. My surgeon did put muscle tissue in my left elbow to make it bend, but it never worked out the way he wanted. I COULD go on for ages, but I'm bored.

Family is a word used often...
My Family is the most important, as they helped me in anyway possible and did a good job. My mum and dad were told that I’d never walk, at the age of 2 a surgeon was going to chuck me in a wheelchair and hope for the best, but really, he wasn't the sharpest surgical tool in the operating room. My mum and dad decided that they weren’t going to give up, they spent the next 3 years straining their backs, helping me to walk and because no medical professionals would help, my dads best friend even helped me. By the time it came around for me to start school I was able to walk.

Two years later my sister Natalie was born and has always been awesome! She treats me like she treats anyone else and that’s the way I like it.

About me?

I don't let my disability control me, I control it, I know its not going to go away but I don't let it stop me from the things I love. I'd like to think I'm a nice person, caring, maybe too caring, I can be too generous as well.

I have a good sense of humour  if you had no sense of humor, you would live a very dull life ESPECIALLY if you couldn't pick on yourself, just for a laugh of course.  You can get some people who think the world owes them, now if you have an attitude like that, it's going to be very hard to make friends AND if you don't have a positive out look on life. People say I have an ''I don't care what people think of me'' attitude, but in a good way. It is not everyone else's fault that I was born like this, I prefer to think, everything happens for a reason, even if you don't want it to. I love having fun, and very rarely will I have a bad day. When you are the size of a 5 year old it can be a challenge to not look like a 5 year old but I like challenges. And as it may be a surprise to unintelligent people, I do not like to be pat on the head like a dog or to be called special, because in any context you use it, it just doesn't sit right with me.

I finished my year 11 and 12 at TAFE about 2 years ago, and got accepted to do Certificate IV in Youth Work, but, found out last year that it wasn't my calling due to a serious accident I had at my 18th Birthday, I SWEAR, I was sober! 

I am now moving to Adelaide, South Australia with my partner, where I can see what it's like in the real world and to realize what it's like to do things by myself.  

My view in life is that, don’t complain about what you don’t have, but love what you do have because others are worse off than you.

I am who I am, Sheree Clampit, and I will remain the original me!  

xoxo